Signal device for bobber



Dec. 6, 1960 F. CAMERON 2,962,831

SIGNAL DEVICE FOR BOBBER Filed March 6, 1957 INVENTOR. & M/f

ATTO NEY 2,962,831 SIGNAL DEVICE FOR BOBBER Frank Cameron, 2026 Wayne Trace, Fort Wayne, Ind. Filed Mar. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 644,371 6 Claims. (Cl. 43--17) The invention relates generally to fishing tackle and more particularly is directed to a signal device adapted for connection with the upper extremity or mast of the staff or spindle of a bobber.

The device may be utilized whenever applicable but is preferably constructed for use with a bobber of the type comprising a float and a staff provided with an upper extremity or mast and a lower extremity having means thereon for attachment to a line. In this general type of bobber the mast is usually cylindrical for a part of its length adjacent the float and has a relatively long conical taper at its free end.

The masts of such bobbers are ofttimes diflicult to see, particularly when the water is choppy and/ or reflects the suns rays. Tilting of the bobber by an undertow and loss of paint on the bobber are other factors which tend to render such a bobber invisible.

With the foregoing in mind, the primary objective of the invention is to provide a conventional bobber, such as the type above described, with a signal device whereby to promote visibility thereof.

The device may be designed and constructed in various ways but is preferably constructed from some desirable resiliently flexible plastic material to form an elongated body having a socket or receiving means at one extremity for receiving the mast and a signal at its opposite extremity.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to make the socket relatively long and tapered so that it will con- 7 form to and accommodate an appreciable portion or length of the mast and thereby reenforce and protect the mast.

A significant object of the invention is to provide a device in which the socket thereof is preferably provided with circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending converging ribs for gripping the mast throughout substantially the length of the portion covered by the socket and thereby assist in holding the device on the mast. The ribs are yieldable and those portions of the socket therebetween are also yieldable so that when the device is pressed into place 'on the mast, the ribs Will yieldably engage the mast and those portions therebetween' will yield or flex and also engage the mast to further assist in holding the device on the mast.

An important object of the invention is to provide means for reenforcing the entrance end of the socket andprovide those portions of the socket between the ribs with openings of a size sufficient whereby a fastening means, such as a string, can be wrapped tightly about the socket and tied to compress the socket so that portions of the string will enter the openings and engage or bite into the mast and thereby provide-an additional means of securing the device to the shaft if required. The openings are preferably located at appropriate locations so that when the device is applied to a mast the string will engage the cylindrical portion of the mast and not necessarily the tapered portion thereof.

An important object of the invention is to provide a signal device of the kind above referred to in which the openings therein afford access to the mast so that if desired a drop of cement may be inserted through at least one opening to secure the device to the mast in lieu of utilizing the fastening means above referred to.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device in which the signal at its upper extremity is preferably fashioned to provide three corresponding generally triangular vertical vanes or flags which are spaced substantially 120 degrees apart to promote visibility at all angles. The vanes may be shaped as desired but are preferably formed to prevent a line from catching thereon.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a signal device which is relatively light in weight and constructed from a plastic which will absorb light rays in order to further render the device readily visible without unduly straining ones eyes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a modified form of signal device comprising an elongated tube and a flag. The tube is of a length so that one extremity will receive a mast and its opposite will support a detachable flag.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bobber having a staff provided with one or more detachable floats.

Other objects of the invention reside in providing a device which is durable, efficient and readily manipulatable.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent after the description hereinafter set forth is considered in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a bobber showing the signal device applied thereto, with a portion of the latter in section;

Figure 2 is a view of the signal device with portions in section to illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a modified form of a signal device;

Figure 5 is a transverse section showing additional means for attaching the device illustrated in Figure 2 to the mast of a bobber; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 depicting a fur- I ther mode of attachment.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of the drawings, numeral 1 generally designates float means, 2 a

one or more floats may be selected to obtain the desired "bobbing action. The floats shown are preferably providcd with holes of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the staff so that the floats may he slid and frictionally held thereon when adjusted to the position desired. t

The staff is preferably cylindrical throughout the major portion of its length and its upper extremity or mast thereof is preferably provided with an elongated conical provides a support for the-- or tapered portion 7 which device generally designated 6.

The device embodying the invention may be designed and constructed in various ways but as exemplified'is.

preferably moulded from a suitable resiliently flexible plastic material of a type which has the inherent charac- The device preferably comter of absorbing light rays. prises an elongated body having one extremity formed to provide a socket or receiving means 8 for receiving the ,3 mast and its other extremity conical end portion 7 of the formed to provide a signal preferably comprising three corresponding vanes or flags 9.

The socket is preferably elongated and conical or tapered and of a sufficient length to house the conical portion of the mast and also the cylindrical portion adjacent to the conical portion whereby to reenforce and protect the mast.

In order to assist in holding the device on the mast the socket is preferably provided with three circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending converging yieldable ribs which serve to grip and/ or bite into the mast substantially throughout the length of the portion confined within the socket. The ribs are yieldable as well as those portions 11 of the socket therebetween and as a result when the socket is forced onto the mast the yieldable portions will flex and forcibly engage the mast at three additional locations, as exemplified in Figure 3. In other words, the ribs 10 and the yieldable portions 11 of the socket between the ribs provide six longitudinal portions which jointly grip or bind the device on the mast throughout substantially the full length of the socket. With this unique setup the device is firmly detachably connected to the mast. The entrance or larger end of the socket is preferably reenforced by an outwardly extending radial annular flange 12.

The provision of ribs or equivalent means in the socket serve to hold the device snugly on the mast but the socket may also be provided with a plurality of openings 13 in the portions 11 of the socket between the ribs so that if desired, fastening means preferably in the form of a string or wire may be placed about the socket, tightened to compress the socket and then tied so that portions of the string will extend into the openings and bind or bite into the mast to provide additional means for securing the device on the mast as illustrated in Figure 5.

In lieu of utilizing string to assist in holding the device in place, a drop of cement 14 may be inserted into any one or all of the openings 13 to anchor the device to the mast. Attention is directed to the fact that the openings are preferably located so that the string, cement or other means such as a pin, when inserted into an opening, will engage the cylindrical portion of the mast adjacent its conical portion 7 in order to prevent release or slippage particularly if a string is used.

It-is, course, to be understood that if desired, the ribs on the socket may be omitted so that the entire inner surface of the socket will engage the mast and that the openings may also be omitted, although they are preferably employed when ribs are not relied on to hold the device connected to the mast. It is to be further understood that any means suitable for the purpose may be utilized to secure the signal device to the staif and that if desired, the signal device and stafl may be moulded to constitute a one-piece construction.

The upper extremity of the device may be designed and constructed as desired but is preferably provided with a signal preferably comprising the three vanes or flags 9 above referred to. The flags are preferably triangular in shape and spaced apart 120 degrees in order to promote visibility from all directions. The lower portions of the vanes or flags converge or merge with the pointed end of the socket.

Referring to the modified signal device depicted in Figure 4 of the drawing, the numeral 15 designates a cylindrical tube preferably constructed of resiliently flexible plastic material of a length sufficient to receive and grip the mast 16 of a staff or spindle 17 and grip a cylindrical shank 18 of a signal 19 having flags 20. The tube is reversible so that the ends shown receiving the staff and signal may be disposed to respectively receive the signal and staff. If desired, the signal 19 may be provided with a cylindrical tubular portion in lieu of the shank 18 for receiving an end of the tube.

In view of the foregoing, it will be manifest that the signal devices offer means for improving the value of various forms of bobbers.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, therefore, I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact forms, constructions, arrangements, and combina tions of parts herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. In combination: a bobber having a staff provided with a smoothly tapered upper end, line attaching means carried by its lower end, a float carried by the staff intermediate its ends, an elongated body having resiliently flexible means detachably receiving the said upper end of the staff, a plurality of circumferentially spaced means formed integrally with and extending inwardly from an internal surface of said receiving means for engaging the staff to secure the body thereto, and a plurality of external longitudinally extending vanes carried by said receiving means.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, in which said integral means comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs which when forcibly engaging the staff will cause the material of the body between the ribs to flex.

3. A device of the kind described comprising an elongated body formed to provide a resiliently flexible tapered socket having an open end for receiving the upper end of a staff and an opposite end portion provided with a longitudinally extending signal and said socket being formed with a plurality of integral inwardly extending abutments, the arrangement being such that when a staff is forced into the socket the abutments will first engage the staff and upon further forcing the material of the socket between the abutments will be flexed to resiliently engage the stafi and hold the device thereon.

4. The device set forth in claim 3, in which the material at one side of an abutment is provided with an opening through which means may be extended to additionally secure the device to the staflf.

5. A bobber comprising a staff, a float carried by the staff, an open-ended tube having its lower end receiving the staff, and a signal having a plug at one end detachably held in the upper end of the tube.

6. In combination: a stafl having an elongate cylindrical portion and an upper elongate tapered portion adjacent said cylindrical portion, a float carried by said staff and means at the lower end of the staff for attachment with a line, an elongate detachable signal device having longitudinal signal vanes at one extremity and an elongate resiliently flexible tapered socket at its opposite extremity snugly receiving and engaging said tapered and cylindrical portions of said staff.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 322,088 Behrens July 14, 1885 1,423,551 Adriance July 25, 1922 1,870,520 Loehr Aug. 9, 1932 2,005,424 Kindle et al. June 18, 7935 2,031,044 Jensen et a1. Feb. 18, 1936 2,532,531 Angert Dec. 5, 1950 2,587,190 Merriweather Feb. 26, 1952 2,725,659 Marzano Dec. 6, 1955 2,816,765 Stockfleth Dec. 17, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,384 Sweden Nov. 23, 1948 353,638 Great Britain July 30, 1931 355,711 France Nov. 10, 1905 413,597 Great Britain July 19, 1934 630,495 France Aug. 23, 1927 653,114 Great Britain May 9, 1951 736,644 Great Britain Sept. 14, 1955 873,084 France Mar. 2, 1942 908,877 France Oct. 29, 1942 1,127,825 France Aug. 13, 1956 ,151,079 France Aug. 19, 1957 

